Chapter 7

"Tom? TOM!"

Tom snapped at the sound of his name being called out so loudly next to him. "Bloody hell, Abraxes! Do you have to shout?"

Tom turned his gaze from the window to the sixteen year old boy next to him, who had his white blond hair tide back in a black ribbon and was dressed in slytherin school robes. He himself was dressed in his school robes, with his shiny prefect badge placed just above his slytherin crest. His dark ebony hair combed to perfection.

"Sorry Tom, but you weren't answering the first time I called." Abraxes Malfoy just shrugged.

"Yes well, I do happen to prefer my ear drums to be un burst. Now what is so important that you had to scream at me?" Tom snapped at his fellow slytherin, irritation showing through.

"W-well I was just wandering when we were going to have our next meeting, seeing as it is the start of the new school term." Abraxes scooted a little further away from Tom in their compartment.

Tom Riddle just smirked. "I think we should have them monthly for a change. Dumbledore has been keeping an extra, annoyingly, close eye on me ever since that mudblood's death. I'll talk more to you and the others about it later in the common room. You'd be surprised at how thin these walls are."

When Abraxes didn't answer, Tom went back to staring out the window. He had other things on his mind right now, other than his meetings with his Knights.

No. For the past three to four days his mind has been plagued with images of her.

Hermione Granger.

If that really is her name...

He had stayed in her room just staring at the same spot for a good five minutes.

She was really sixteen? Tom had found it well and truly hard to believe. But after he had gained back some of his senses, he had picked up his book.

The one she had took from me...

He had found the page she had been reading last and had read over the spell that she must have used. Then it was clear to him that she really was sixteen.

And beautiful.

Tom wasn't really the type for looking at girls. He allowed the girls at school to swoon all over him, but he had only ever just concentrated on school and his knights. Yet he couldn't help but be amazed by her beauty. Her long, chocolate curls, her eyes, her face, her body...

And it unnerved him immensely.

A loud screeching sound rang through the entire express. Tom didn't think he had been thinking for that long. But apparently he had. Straightening out his robes as he stood, Tom left the compartment whilst carrying his shrunk trunk in his pocket.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Welcome Students! To another wonderful year at Hogwarts!" Headmaster Armando Dippet shouted out to the great hall, that was filled with students all seated at four different tables. "Now I'm sure you are all very hungry and tired from after your journey so I think it would be best if we just started now with the sorting..."

Over at the far end of the hall sitting at the edge of a table surrounded by other boys his own age, and the occasional girl here and there, was Tom. Seated next to him was Abraxes and next to him was Orion Black. At his front was Antinon Dolohov who had, to his right, Maximus Lestrange and next to him was his younger sister Eliza. Everyone else was either just not important or wasn't worth the time and attention.

Tom never really was interested in the sorting. He knew one of his 'friends' would fill him in about it afterwards, so Dippet's voice had by now completely left his mind and he just picked up the book that he had brought and began reading.

"Hey Tom, did you hear that?" Abraxes inched closer to Tom and whispered. "There's going to be an exchange student this year that gets sorted first."

And he should care...why? Tom just ignored him.

Abraxes let out a small whistle of approval at the sight before him. "She's quite hot. Looks like she could make a pretty good shag, don't ya think?"

"Yeah." Maximus answered, "Not a bad arse either."

"Ohh, I wander what house she'll be put in!" Abraxes thought aloud.

Really? Was he the only civilised person in his house? Abraxes actually sounded like a little boy on bloody Christmas morning!

Sighing, Tom put down his book, giving up on the chances of him getting some peace and quiet to read his book. As his back was turned, he distantly heard the call of 'Gryffindor'.

Great! Just what he needed on top of things! Another Gryffindor. Abraxes let out a rather indignant huff and sat back on his chair in a sulk.

Tom snorted to himself, As if that ever stops him.

"No bloody doubt. A hot girl our age comes here and she gets placed in Gryffindor!" Abraxes moaned aloud.

"The hat didn't even touch her head!" Maximus claimed.

Thoroughly irritated now, Tom turned round to start reminding Abraxes and Maximus just who it was that they were pissing off. "Abraxes. Max. Will you ju-" Tom, however, practically froze mid-sentence when he caught sight of the very girl Abraxes had just momentarily been drooling over.

"No... fucking... way." He muttered.

Walking towards the Gryffindor table, with her head held high, was her.

This time when he saw her, she seemed even more radiant than ever. She was dressed in a simple white, knee length skirt and a pail pink top, with sleeves that didn't go past her elbows. Her hair was combed neatly, and came down past her waist and when she smiled; she showed a perfect row of straight, white teeth.

He didn't know how long he had been staring, but just before she made to sit down, she caught his glance, but then turned around again to talk to the girl who was next to her.

Did she just wink and smirk at me?

Suddenly, Tom felt an unnerving rush of anger hit him all in one go. Remembering what she had done to him. He would have to try and make sure that story was kept under wraps.

"HA!" Tom tried not to show the fact that he had momentarily just jumped out of his skin at Abraxes' sudden outburst. "Did you see that? Eh? She just winked at me!"

"No. Fucking. Way." Tom seethed again, through gritted teeth.

"Excuse me?" Abraxes said rather indignantly, thinking that was a reference to the girl winking at him.

"Tom? did you just swear?" Orion asked curiously. No one ever heard Tom swear out loud.

Still glaring at the back of a certain female, Tom only answered half minded. "Yes." keeping his tone of voice the same. Angry.

"Since when do you swear?" Abraxes added, taking no notice of his friend's angry posture.

"Since now." he grounded out.

Picking up his stuff, forgetting that he still hadn't had dinner yet, Tom Riddle stormed out the great hall. Only six people took notice.

R&R